1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates, in general, to fluid quick connector assemblies which couple male and female connector components and, more specifically, to fluid quick connectors having an internal retainer which locks the male connector component in the female connector component.
2. Description of the Art
Snap-fit or quick connectors are employed in a wide range of applications, particularly, for joining fluid carrying conduits in automotive and industrial application. Such quick connectors utilize retainers or locking elements for securing a male connector component, such as a tubular conduit, within a complimentary bore of a female connector component or housing. Such retainers are typically of either the axially-displaceable or radially-displaceable type. The terms xe2x80x9caxially-displaceablexe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cradially-displaceablexe2x80x9d are taken relative to the axial bore through the female component.
In a typical quick connector with an axially displaceable, metal retainer, the retainer is fixedly mounted within a bore in a housing of the female connector component of housing. The retainer has a plurality of radially and angularly extending legs which extend inwardly toward the axial center line of the bore in the housing. A tube or male component to be sealingly mounted in the bore in the female component includes a radially upset portion or flange which abuts an inner peripheral surface of the retainer legs.
As the male component is inserted through the open end of the female component housing, the flange on the male component engages and deflects the legs of the retainer radially outward until the flange clears the end of the legs, at which time the legs snap radially inward into secure engagement with the flange on the male component to lock the male and female components together and to resist separation or pullout of the male component from the female component.
In order to separate the tubular conduit or male component from the female component, it is necessary to expand the deflectable legs on the retainer in a radially outward direction to enable the enlarged annular flange on the male component to pass by the ends of the legs. Release tools are frequently employed to effect the release of such a quick connector. The release tools are mountable about the portion of the male component or tubular conduit extending outward from the female component housing and urged through the open end of the housing to deflect the retainer legs radially outward thereby enabling the annular flange on the male component to be pulled axially outward from the female component housing.
Certain quick connector designs of this type have a release member which is integrally, slideably mounted on the female component and forms a unitary part of the quick connector. Such release members are forcibly slideable into the female component to engage and radially expand the deflectable legs of the retainer outwardly to enable the enlarged flange on the tubular conduit to be axially removed from the female component.
However, as can be readily imagined, space limitations within a use application, such as a vehicle frequently prevent the use of manual release tools. Further, even quick connectors with integrally mounted release members have a frequent accessibility problem since the end of the release member may not be readily accessible for sliding axial insertion into the housing.
In quick connectors having an axially displaceable retainer, the retainer is slideably insertable through the open end of the female component and snaps in place within the female component; while at the same time being readily separable from the female component when outer end tabs on the retainer are squeezed together. This squeezing action moves angularly extending fingers carried on the retainer radially outward from engagement with the annular flange on the male component to enable the male component and/or the retainer itself to be axially removed the female component housing.
However, while this type of retainer eliminates the need for a manual release tool or a separate release member, quick connectors employing this type of retainer still suffer accessibility problems in the crowded vehicle environment.
Radially displaceable retainers are also known in which the retainer is radially displaceable through aligned bores or apertures formed transversely to the main through bore in the female component housing. The radially displaceable retainer is typically provided with a pair of depending legs which are sized and positioned to slip behind the radially upset portion or flange on the male conduit only when the male connector or conduit is filly seated in the bore in the female component. This ensures a positive locking engagement of the conduit with the female component as well as providing an indication that the conduit is fully seated since the radially displaceable retainer can be fully inserted into the female component only when the conduit has been fully inserted into the bore in the female component.
One type of radially displaceable retainer includes a pair of projections extending along the length of the retainer between opposed side edges of each of the side legs. The projections which are in the form of hooks, snap around edges of a pair of axially extending surfaces formed on the female component housing to lock the retainer to the female component.
Release of such a retainer from the female component is effected by manual, inward squeezing of the projections toward each other until the projections slide inwardly of the axially extending surfaces on the housing to enable the retainer to be radially displaced from the housing thereby allowing separation of the male and female components.
Despite the effectiveness of this last described radially displaceable retainer, a quick connector employing such a radially displaceable retainer still faces accessibility problems during release operation. It is often times difficult for a service person to manually grasp the projections on the retainer and apply sufficient squeezing force to move the projections radially inward a sufficient amount to clear the axial surfaces on the housing thereby allowing the retainer to be radially displaced from the housing.
What is needed is a release tool for a quick connector employing a radially displaceable retainer having side leg projections which snap around axial surfaces on the female component housing to fixedly mount the retainer to the housing. It would also be desirable to provide such a release tool which is easily employable despite crowded and relatively difficult accessibility to the retainer in a use position. It would also be desirable to provide such a release tool which can be releasably, integrally mounted on the quick connector without interfering with the normal operation of the quick connector.
The present invention is a release tool for a quick connector having a radially displaceable retainer.
In one aspect of the invention, the quick connector combination includes mating male and female components, the male component having a first end portion terminating in a tip end and a radially enlarged annular flange spaced from the tip end. The female component, including a housing, having an axially extending bore extending from one end of the housing for receiving the tip end and the radially enlarged flange on the male component therein.
A pair of opposed, aligned apertures are formed in the housing in transverse communication with the axially extending bore in the housing. The first and second apertures form first and second axially extending surfaces on the housing, the first and second surfaces each having a lock edge.
A retainer is slidable through the pair of apertures in the housing for releasably locking the male and female components together. The retainer includes a body having an end wall and first and second spaced legs extending from the end wall and terminating in outer ends. Outwardly extending projections formed on the first and second legs are releasably engageable with the lock edges of the housing after the retainer is fully inserted into the transverse bore in the housing.
The release tool includes a collar engageable with the end of the housing. A pair of opposed arms project from the collar and are engageable with the axially extending surfaces on the housing when the release tool is mounted on the housing. Each of the arms having a retainer engaging surface which is forcibly engageable with the projections on the retainer to move the projections and the side legs of the retainer radially inward to disengage the projections from the lock edges on the housing allowing movement of the retainer relative to the male component for separation of the male component from the female component.
In one aspect, the collar on the release tool has an aperture alignable with the bore in the housing when the release tool is mounted on the housing.
Preferably, the first and second arms on the release tool are diametrically opposed. Also, the first and second arms of the release tool have an inner surface shaped complimentary to the outer surface of the housing to secure the release tool in a relative fixed position with respect to the housing.
In another aspect, the present invention is the above-described release tool adapted to be mountable on a quick connector having a radially displaceable retainer.
The unique release tool of the present invention is usable with a quick connector having a radially displaceable retainer to simplify disengagement of the retainer from its locked position on the female component housing to enable separation of the male and female components of the quick connector. The release tool is mountable on the housing of the quick connector in a position that does not interfere with the normal insertion or movement of the retainer. More importantly, the release tool of the present invention enables easy disengagement of the retainer element from its locked position despite any crowded mounting conditions of the quick connector.